Garment retaining means



Sept. 23, 1952 p H, sf 2,611,517

GARMENT RETAINING MEANS Filed Feb. 1 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 INVENTOR. efirflj'z'mansen Sept. 23, 1952 $|MQN$EN 2,611,517

GARMENT RETAINING MEANS Filed Feb. 1, 1950 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 V-"H' W L Q11 1 I l 1 l l I I I l I l Patented Sept. 23, 19 52 1m STATES FATE NT FI F GARMENT RETAINING MEANS Peter H. Simonsen, Avon, N. J. Application February 1, 1950, Serial No. 141,629

This invention relates to improvements in means for retaining and supporting. garments in smoothly folded condition, especially when packed into luggage for transportation;

In modern wardrobe trunks, and insuitcases having capacity for carrying one ormore mens suits. provision is usually made for suspending or otherwise supporting the garments ina folded condition whenfp'acked. Devices as heretofore provided for such purpose, whilef'intended to maintain the garments" insmoothlyfolded condition free fro'mwrinkles; have'not successfully avoided all wrinklingj'es'pecially with respect to coat sleeves in the vicinity'of the junctures thereof with the shoulders of the coat. 'When a coat is folded for packing in luggage, the sleeves are flattened and inwardly swung or inclined to lay over the front of the'coat. When the sleeves are thus inswung and overlaidacross the coat front, considerable undesirable puc'kering and win: kling of the unsupported material of the sleeves occurs with respect to the sleeve portions which extend adjacently below the shoulder seams.

Under these conditions, when'the coat is packed and tightly compressed within the luggage interior, the aforesaid Wrinkles become creased so as to remain inthe' coat. after it'i's unpacked, to thedetriment'of the coat ap-pearan'ewhen again worn. I

"Having the aboveiin' View, itis invention to provid'a 'devi'ce for retaining gar"- ments, especially whh: packed into: luggage, in smoothly folded condition Qand with'the sleeves thereof -sosuppor't'eizl by novelfcl'd guiding and shielding mean's,.'that puckering and wrinkling or sharp creasingof'the folded sleeve material adjacent theshoiilders of the garments is effective1 1 prevented. 1

The invention hasfor. a further object to pro vide a garment retaining device having novel sleeve'ifold guiding and shieldinglmeans', includ ing'"'means to adjustablysupp'ort thev latter whereby to accommodate the" senate different sizes of garments. i

Other objects of this invention,not at this time more particularly enumerated, will "be understood from the following detailed description of thein- Illustrative einbodimentsof" the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings,in which: 1- is a-front face view of the'novel garment retaining device of'this inventionyin a hanger form thereof suitable for use; inwardrobe trunks; and showin i Op a ve 'ap iyationito a o the latter being delineated by brokenfllines;

an object of this 8 Claims. (Cl. 223-88) "'2 and 3 are fragmentary:horiaontal, sectional views, taken -n' line 3-7-3 in Fig. 1; Fig. 2

showing a sleeve fold guiding and shielding means as initially up-swung for introduction into a sleeve interior; and Fig. 3, showing said fold;

- guiding and shielding means down-swung to fold forming and supporting relationto the sleeve material; andFigA isaltransverse vertical sectional view, taken on line 4-4 'in'Fig. 2, but

drawn on an enlargedscale.

Fig. 5 is a front face view of aimodified form of the garment retainingdevice of this invention which is adapted for use insuitcases, this View also showing operativeapplication of the device to a coat, the latter being delineated by broken lines; and Fig. 6 isa'detail transverse Vertical.

sectional view, taken on line 16.-,5 in Fig. 5, but drawn on an enlarged scale.

Similar charactersof reference are employed in the hereinabove described viewsto indicate corresponding parts. 7. a

Referring first to Figs-Ito 4 inclusive of the drawings, the novelgarment retaining device is shown as of acoat-hangerrtype, and comprises a suitably formed and shaped. substantially flat hanger frame It, which is;provid e d at its upper midportion with a: suspension'means H. Said suspension means ishpreferably pivot ally supported so as to be 'reversible, one end thereof comprising a hook-loop [2 suitable for engagement with a suspension bar (11011 shown) in a closet, and'the opposite end thereof comprising a hook formation l3 suitable for engagement with a suspension bracket or like device (not shown) of a wardrobe trunk. The hangerframe terminates at its respective outeri-ends in dependent side members l4, and extendingbetween these side members I4 is a horizontal transverse bar l5 over which folded trousersimay be disposed for sus pension therefrom; Supported from and below the mid-portion of said transversebar I5 are the inner ends of oppositely extending, trackvvay members I 6, the opposite outer ends of which arev amxed to and -a're's'upported byathe side memb l4 j The coat-hanger type of the garment retain ing device, with-respect to the above described parts thereof, may be made of any suitablematerial, and may be variously constructed as to the detail structure thereof. For purposesof illustration, and to exemplify one structuralrform thereof, the hanger'fram'e 10 and itslsidel mem-- bers 14, the transverse bar-l5, and theitrackway members 16 i are fabricated from substantially. rigid metallic wire" or like materiallf ifn suchtca'se;

3 the trackway members 15 each compr ses parallelly spaced apart track bars H, the inner ends of which are supported from the transverse bar l5 by a suspension element it! which depends from the latter; the outer ends of the track bars 11 being aifixed to and supported by the hanger me side members I an the coat-hanger type of the garment retaining means of this invention, the trackway members 16 are disposed to incline downwardly and outwardly from their inner ends to then outer ends; the purpose of which arrangement will be hereinafter more fully explained.

Mounted in connection with the respective trackway members i6, so as to belongitudinally adjustable therealong, are respective sleeve fold guiding and shielding devices 2Q, whereby one oi the latter is provided at each side or end or the rment retaining means. 1 Means is provided for supporting each sleeve fold guiding and shielding device, the same comprising a carrier member 2l which slidably movable on a trackway member l5; means being provided for releasably holding the carrier member in desired adjusted position on the trackway member. To the lower part of the carrier member 2| is fixed a longitudinally and outwardly extending bracket arm 22 which terminates at its outer end in an outwardly project ng angular extension 23, from which extension depends a pintle arm 24. The sleeve fold guiding and shielding device is pivotally supported by said pintle arm 24,- and for this purpose is provided with a hinging member 25 disposed to pro ect from the back or inner face thereof at a suitable location adjacent to its outer side margin. This hinging arrangement is such that the sleeve fold guiding and shielding device may be outswung from a closed position, substantially parallel to and spaced from the plane of the garment ietaining means, to an open position, substantially at right angles to such plane. Said respective positions are determined by stop shoulder formations 26 and 2,1, with which the upper end portion of the hinge member 25 is provided, and which are adapted to be selectively brought into stopped abutment against the angular extension 23 of the bracket arm 22. It is especially important that stop shoulder formation 20 shall prevent body 20 from approaching too close to frame members 14 and It, for a purpose which ill a ear resently. I in fife illu strative form thereof, as shown in Figs. 1 to l inclusive, the carrier member 2 comprises a plate 28 having longitudinal top and bottom marginal portions or shoulders 29 which are adapted to embrace the spaced track bars ll, and cooperative with said plate 28 is a clamping bridge piece 30 and a clamp screw oi which extends therefrom between the track bars ll so as to screw into the plate 28. When the clamp screw is tightened, the bridge piece 30 and plate 28 are drawn together into gripping relationto the track bars 11, whereby to hold the carrier member 2i, and sleeve fold guidingand sh elding device carried thereby, in a selected position to which it may have been shifted along the trackwa member.

The sieeve fold guiding and shielding devices 20 each comprise a substantially flat molded or otherwise shaped body which may be optionally made of hard and rigid material, such as wood, hard plastic or the like, or of relatively soft and resilient material, such as natural or synthetic rubber or the like. The peripheral shape of the body is preferably such as to provide a curvilinear outer margin 40 and a substantially straight inner margin cl bordered by a lip 42 of rounded cross-section. In such form, the substantially straight inner margin 41 provides a sleeve fold guide and the lip 42 a fold distending support, all as will presently be explained. It is also preferable that the body of the device 20 be of substantially concavo convex formation, with the concave side at its inner face, whereby to add to the shielding effect of the space between said body and members 14 and I6 of frame 10 to provide housing reception of slack sleeve material when the latter is folded about the body 20.

In the use of the coat-hanger type of the garment retaining means of this invention, a coat is draped over the hanger frame [0, so that the,

latter supports the shoulders of the garment in the usual manner. After the coat is thus disposed, the sleeve fold guiding and shielding devices 28 are out-swung to open position, and when so positioned are inserted through the arm holes of the garment and respectively into the sleeve interiors so as to be arranged therein adjacent to the junctures "of the sleeves with the garment shoulders (see Fig. 2). Thesleeve material is now smoothly folded around the lips 42 of the straight margins 4| of the devices, so. that the inner portions of the folds are arranged contiguous to the concave inner faces of said devices, whereupon said devices are in-swung to overlie the front of the coat (see Fig. 3). In this manner, those portions of the respective sleeves which are disposed in the vicinity Of the junctures thereof with the coat shoulders are neatly and smoothly folded about the devices 20, so as to be supported and shielded thereby, and retained in such folded condition free from puckers and wrinkles. As thus supported by the coat-hanger type of the garment retaining means, the gar-' merit may be suspended within a wardrobe trunk or like luggage piece, and then subjected to pressure of adjacent packed garments without risk of formation of undesired creased wrinkles therein.

"As shown in Fig, 1, and as above described, the trackway members l6 are inclined downwardly and outwardly from their inner ends thus as-' cending toward said inner ends. The purpose of this arrangement is to permit adjustment of the relative spacing of the sleeve fold guiding and shielding devices 20, whereby to accommodate the same to different sizes of garments. In coats of small size, the shoulder breadth is narrower and the skirt length proportionately shorter than in coats of larger sizes. Consequently, for smaller sizes of coats the devices 20 are moved inwardly along the inclined trackway members i6, and due to the upward inclination of the latter, said devices 20 are likewise moved upward relative to the hanger frame Ill, thus not only accommodating the devices 20 to the narrower spaced relation of the coat sleeves, but also to the proportionally shorter skirt length of the coat.

Referring now to Fig. 5, a modified form of the garment retaining means of this invention is shown therein, which form is suitable for use with garments desired to be packed into luggage pieces of the suitcase type which contain hanger bar or like means 58 over which the folded garment is disposed so as to depend therefrom. This type of garment retaining means comprises a transverse frame member 5| suitably formed to pro vide oppositely and outwardly extending trackway members It. Said transverse frame member and"trackway members preferably comprise a channel bar' formation, the upper flange of which, at least with respect to each trackway member part thereof, is provided along its free edge with dependent ratchet teeth 52. Slida'ble,

form of the garment retaining means, Supported by anchor lugs 54 withirr the sleeves 53 comprising the carrier members 21 are spring pawls 55 which cooperate with the ratchet teeth 52, whereby to hold said carrier members, and the sleeve fold guidin and shielding means, in selected adjusted positions to which the carrier members may have been shifted along the trackway members [5. The spring pawls 55 are provided with finger pieces 56 projecting exteriorly of the sleeve 53, by means of which said spring pawls 55 may be depressed and disengaged from the ratchet teeth 52, when it is desired to move the carrier members 2| inwardly along the trackway members.

In the use of the last described form of the earment retaining means, the sleeve fold guiding and shielding devices 20 are inserted through the sleeve arm holes of a coat to be served, and then manipulated in the same manner as already above described, whereby to form and retain the sleeve folds. After the garment retaining means is thus applied to the coat, the latter may be folded upon itself over and so as to depend from a hanger bar 58 within the suitcase into which the coat is to be packed, as indicated in Fig. 5.

It may be here stated that form of trackway members and cooperative carrier members shown as to the suitcase type of garment retaining means may be utilized in the coathanger type of garment retaining means, and vice versa.

Havin now described my invention, I claim:

1. A garment retaining means comprising a substantially flat frame member for insertion in a garment, sleeve fold guiding and shielding devices of substantially flat body formation respectively carried by the frame member at opposite end portions thereof, said devices and the frame member end portions by which they are carried having cooperative hinge elements operative to pivotally connect the former to the latter so that said devices are capable of being outswung for disposition angular to the frame member end portions subject to insertion into upper interiors of the respective garment sleeves and thereafter, to be in-swung parallel to the plane of said frame member, and said hinge elements having cooperative stop means for limiting in-swinging movement of said devices to outwardly offset parallel disposition relative to the frame member,

and thus to maintain sleeve fold shielding space between said devices and frame members.

2. A garment retaining means comprising a substantially flat frame member for insertion in a garment, said frame member having oppositely and outwardly extending trackway members, carrier members slidably adjustable on said trackway members, sleeve fold guiding and shielding devices of substantially flat body formation respectively carried by the carrier memgar-1,517

bers, said devices "and the 'carrier members which they are carriedhaving cooperativehing'e" elements operative to pivotally connect", the former to the latter so that said devices are capable of being'out-swung for. disposition angular to the planeof the frame member subject to insertion" into upper interiors of the respective garment sleeves and thereafter to bein swung parallelto the plane of the frame member,1said hinge elements having cooperative stop means for limiting in-swingingmovement of said devices to outwardly offset paralleljdisposition relative to'the'fra'me member, and thus to maintain sleeve fold shielding space betweensaid devices and the frame member, and releasablelmeansfor holding the carrier members withfthe sleeve fold guiding and shielding devices in selected adjusted positiorison "the'trackway member's."

3. A garment retaining means comprising a substantially fiat hanger-frame from which garments can be suspended, trackway members oppositely extending from a mid-portion of the hanger-frame at the bottom thereof to the opposite outer ends thereof, carrier members slidably adjustable on the trackway members, sleeve fold guiding and shielding devices of substantially flat body formation respectively carried by the carrier members, said devices and the carrier members by which they are carried having cooperative hinge elements operative to pivotally connect the former to the'latter so that said devices are capable of being out-swung for disposition angular to the plane of the hanger-frame subject to insertion into upper interiors of the respective garment sleeves and thereafter to be in-swung parallel to the plane of the hangerframe, said hinge elements having cooperative stop means for limiting in-swinging movement of said devices to outwardly ofiset parallel disposition relative tothe hanger-frame, and thus to maintain sleeve fold shielding space between said devices and the hanger-frame, and rleasable means for holding the carrier members with the sleeve fold guiding and shielding devices in selected adjusted positions on the trackway memers. 4. A garment retaining means comprising a substantially flat hanger-frame from which garments can be suspended, trackway members oppositely extending from a mid-portion of the hanger-frame at the bottom thereof to the opposite outer ends thereof, carrier members slidably adjustable on the trackway members, sleeve fold guiding and shielding devices of substantially flat body formation respectively carried by the carrier members, said devices and the carrier members by which they are carried having cooperative hinge elements operative to p-ivotally connect the former to the latter so that said devices are capable of being out-swung for disposition angular to the plane of the hanger-frame subject to insertion into upper interiors of the respective garment sleeves and thereafter to be in-swung parallel to the plane of the hangerframe, said hinge elements having cooperative stop means for limiting in-swinging movement of said devices to outwardly offset parallel disposition relative to the hanger-frame, and thus to maintain sleeve fold shielding space between said devices and the hanger-frame, and releasable means for holding the carrier members with the sleeve fo-ld guiding and shielding devices in selected adjusted positions on the trackway members, said trackway members and the carrier members supported thereby being disposed in acumw 7 downwardly and outwardly inclined extensien from the hanger-frame mid-portion toward the opposite ends of said hanger-frame.

5. A garment retaining means as defined in claim 1, wherein the body of each sleeve fold guiding and shielding device has a concave inner face adapted to house and shield the slack sleeve material disposed between said device and the frame member when said device is in in-swung position- 6,, A garment retaining means as defined in claim .1, wherein the body of each sleeve fold guiding and shielding device is concave-convex in form and arranged to provide a convex sleeve distending outer face and a concave sleeveslack housing inner face.

.A garment retaining means a d fined n claim 1, wherein the body of each sleeve fold guiding and shielding device has a substantially straight free fold guide edge opposite 13 its CITED The renew ng re ece are of e d in t le of this P 7 UNITED STATES PATENTS Numb Name t 62 91 Posner T June 28, lelo 

